Individual Consultant Technical assistance to support COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in Sao Tome and Principe (STP)- for 10 month

Consultant Medical & Health Programme & Policy

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a champion

COVID-19 is one of the world's major public health emergencies in the 21st century. Its direct and indirect impacts on morbidity and mortality as well as socio-economic impacts are unprecedented in the world. In Sao Tome and Principe, the first four cases were reported on 6 April 2020 and as of 27 January 2021, a cumulative total of 3,705 cases (among them 209 health professionals) and 56 deaths had been recorded, for an attack rate of 1,713/100,000 hab. In addition since 31 December 2020 an exponential increase of new cases and enhanced community transmission is reported in all districts of the country and the Autonomous Region of Principe. The transmission of acute respiratory diseases is extremely challenging to control, particularly in a country with weak health system. In addition, no fully effective treatment is currently available, leading to excess morbidity and mortality and leaving health professional and infrastructures overwhelmed.

The introduction of vaccination to first protect the health professionals and the most vulnerable and, second, decrease progressively disease transmission is the only cost-efficient strategy which needs to be implemented as a priority. To this aim, Sao Tome and Principe as part of the COVAX and African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team has developed a national plan to deploy the vaccine against COVID19, to cover 70% of the adult population (150,227 inhabitants) until April 2022, with the support of partners such as WHO, UNICEF, GAVI and the World Bank.

On this basis, the country has received 48,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, through the COVAX mechanism and a donation of 49,000 doses from the Portuguese government and a donation of 100,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine, from the People's Republic of China. A further 72,000 doses of the vaccine Moderna (from the COVAX AMC mechanism), 80,000 doses of the vaccine Johnson & Johnson, through the UA-AVAT mechanism are expected. 39,780 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine are also expected later this year.

The vaccination campaign started on 15 March 2021. However, the number of people with complete vaccination has been significantly lower than the national and international targets. There has been a considerable drop in the population's adherence to both 1st and 2nd dose, with a total of 104,211 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine administered: 76,236 doses as 1st dose and 27,975 as 2nd dose.

In this context, USAID is providing financial resources to UNICEF to support the government of Sao Tome and Principe to:

• Support, in collaboration with WHO, the delivery of training sessions to health service providers involved in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and related activities.
• Support the effective procurement and distribution of vaccines and related supplies, as a way to strengthen the immunization supply and logistics system. This later includes ensuring proper storage capacity and a well performing cold chain, both at the central and district levels, in accordance with the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP).
• Provide strong leadership in developing and implementing risk communication and community engagement strategies to address miscommunication and rumors and increase populations' adherence to vaccination campaigns.

How can you make a difference?

The objective of the mission is Support the national immunization team to improve the management of the COVID-19 vaccination aiming to increase population adherence and vaccination coverage. The consultant will support readiness, delivery, and post-delivery monitoring of COVID-19 vaccine in Sao Tome and Principe.

The UNICEF office in São Tomé and Príncipe is seeking to recruit an international consultant to provide technical leadership, coordination of activities, alongside the key stakeholders and adequate monitoring and oversight to support readiness, delivery, and post-delivery monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines.

Work Assignment Overview

• Support, in collaboration with WHO, training sessions on management/administration of vaccines to health service providers involved in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and related activities, including the management ULT equipment.
• Support effective procurement and distribution of vaccines and related supplies, as a way to strengthen the immunization supply and logistics system, including ensuring proper storage capacity and a well performing cold chain, both at the central and district levels, in accordance with the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP).
• Provide strong leadership in developing and implementing risk communication and community engagement strategies to address miscommunication and rumors and increase populations' adherence to vaccination campaigns.
• Support the Ministry of Health to supervise the training and performance of health service providers and relevant support staff on vaccine data entry and processing integrated into the national DHIS2 system.
• Support the Ministry of Health in the management/administration of vaccines recently introduced in the country; Support in handling ULT equipment.

1. Work conditions

• The consultant must have his own work equipment (computer, mobile phone, etc.).
• A UNICEF Office workspace will be made available to facilitate exchanges and internet connection.

Note: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their technical and financial evaluation offers (proposals must be submitted separately, to www.unicef.org/about/employ .

UNICEF does not provide or organize health insurance coverage for the consultant.

Estimated duration of the contract; Remuneration; Other Terms and Conditions

The consultancy will be full-time, for a period of 10 month from the date of signing the contract, which is expected to be in January 2022, and he/she will be based in São Tomé and Príncipe.

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or part of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work / products:

• is incomplete,
• fails to meet UNICEF and government quality standards,
• is not delivered or has not met the deadlines
• fee reduction due to late shipping: 5 days - 10%, 15 days - 20%; 1 month - 50%; more than 1 month - payment withheld.

Work assignment and deliverables

Tasks/Milestone: Deliverables/Outputs: Timeline Estimate Budget

Support, in collaboration with WHO, training sessions on management/administration of vaccines to health service providers involved in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and related activities, including the management ULT equipment.

5 refresher training sessions to health service providers on AstraZeneca vaccine management involved in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and related activities, conducted in collaboration with WHO.

Within 3 months of task assigned

15%

Support effective procurement and distribution of vaccines and related supplies, as a way to strengthen the immunization supply and logistics system, including ensuring proper storage capacity and a well performing cold chain, both at the central and district levels, in accordance with the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP). A report on recommendations, best practices to ensure that procured Vaccines and related devices of COVID-19 are effectively distributed, adequately storage in order to strengthen the cold chain system and logistics at central and district levels. Quarter reports

20%

Provide strong leadership in developing and implementing risk communication and community engagement strategies to address miscommunication and rumors and increase populations' adherence to vaccination campaigns. Risk communication and community engagement plan is developed with the aim of addressing miscommunication and rumors:

Review and development of context-specific information, education and communication materials to increase population' adherence to vaccination activities. Within 3 months of task assigned

15%

Support the Ministry of Health to supervise the training and performance of health service providers and relevant support staff on vaccine data entry and processing integrated into the national DHIS2 system. A supervision plan for the training for health service providers and support staff in entering and processing vaccine data into the national DHIS2 system. Within 3 months of task assigned

15%

Support the Ministry of Health in the management/administration of vaccines recently introduced in the country; Support in handling ULT equipment # (TBC with the Ministry of Health) of training sessions to health service providers of vaccination teams on the management/administration of vaccines newly introduced in the country (Moderna, Pfizer, J&J, Sinopharm and other vaccines as needed).

# (TBC with the Ministry of Health) of End-user training for the ULT equipment to support Pfizer vaccine Roll-out From Jan – Aug

35%

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Bachelors en Public Health
• At least 5 (five) years of relevant work experience in public health and immunization programs, surveillance. Experience in introducing new vaccines
• Work experience with UNICEF, WHO or other UN agencies would be an asset.
• Proven skills in strategic planning, monitoring the implementation of public health programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles, practices, methods, and techniques of immunization programmes
• Ability to work as a team under tight deadlines and work in a multicultural environment.
• Working languages: Portuguese with working knowledge of English or French.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Application Submission

Interested applicants are requested to apply online and attach a technical proposal and a financial proposal:

Technical and Financial Proposal

The consultancy will be full-time, for a period of 10 month from the date of signing the contract, which is expected to be in January 2021 and he/she will be based in São Tomé and Príncipe.

I. The consultant must submit his/her technical and financial proposal at the time of application. Technical proposal:

• Technical proposal (minimum of 2 pages) which would include at least the following (applicants are strongly encouraged not to repeat the text of the Terms of Reference, but to demonstrate a critical understanding of it):

• Copy of your own CV and all qualifications

• Completed P11 form (United Nations CV format)

• Understanding the purpose of the assessment

• A proper conceptual framework and assessment methodology

• proposed deadlines

• Names and contact details of reference persons

• List of previous evaluation reports (if applicable)

• Any other additional information to support the application (optional).

II. Financial proposal:

The financial offer must be a standalone document (using Excel), which must be a lump sum including full details of the financial offer: daily rates, travel and daily subsistence allowances if applicable, communication fees and the other components of the financial offer.

Note: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their technical and financial offers (proposals must be submitted separately).

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

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Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org